MISSION NAME
LJ-2 2
Status
Success
DATE
4 DEC 1959
LAUNCH PROVIDER
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Launch Pad
Launch Area 1
Description
The Little Joe 2 was a suborbital test flight of the Mercury space capsule, carrying the rhesus monkey Sam close to the edge of space. He was sent to test the space equipment and the adverse effects of space on humans.
Little Joe
Rocket Description
Little Joe was a solid-fueled booster rocket used by NASA for eight launches from 1959-1960 from Wallops Island, Virginia to test the launch escape system and heat shield for Project Mercury capsules.